Apparatus for tempering tubular glass articles



Sept. 15, 1936. w. B. CLITI- IEROW 2,054,595

APPARATUS FORTEMPERING TUBULAR GLASS ARTICLES Filed Nov. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 hwenir Sept. 15, 1936. w. B. CLITHEROW 2,054,595

APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING TUBULAR GLASS ARTICLES Filed Nov. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll A Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING TUBULAR GLASS ARTICLES 4 William Borthwick Clitlierow, St. Helens, England, assignor to 11 Brothers Limited,

Pilkingto Liverpool, England, a limited liability company of Great Britain Application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 48,072 In Great Britain December 4, 1934 2Claims.

to the tube and issues against the inner surfaces of the articles through holes in the tube, whilst the tube, after heating in a furnace, is held in an external blowing frame.

The invention also comprises a tubular furnace I and external blowing frame adapted to temper a plurality of articles on a single supporting tube and also an arrangement of a plurality of supporting tubes on a header in a plane adapted for tempering articles in the tempering apparatus employed for flat glass plates. v

In the accompanying drawings:--

v Figure 1 is a vertical section of part of a-supporting tube with glass tubes in position;

Figure 2 is a section thereof on the line AA of Fi ure 1 Figure 3 is avertical cross section of a furnace and blowing frame for a single supporting tube as in Figures 1 and 2, the latter being shown in elevation;

Figure 4 shows in elevation a plurality of sup ported tubes with glass articles thereon in a blowing frame and above a furnace adapted for tempering fiat glass plates, and

Figure 5 shows the lower part of a supporting frame in elevation, with a tubular glass article in section.

The invention will be described with reference to the glass tubes for miners safety lamps. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a tube I, of metal capable of withstanding the temperature of the heating furnace, is provided at intervals with cross pins 2, serving to support a plurality of glass tubes 3, one above the other, surrounding the tube in the tube I so that the glass tubes threaded on to the tube I from below, apin 2 being passed through the tube I after each glass 55 tube is threaded on.

Figure 3 shows a tempering apparatus adapted for tempering glass tubes.- The furnace consists of a tube 8 of refractory material, with an electrically heated spiral 9. Above the furnace is a blowing frame consisting of two ring headers II with tubes I2 between them, provided with air holes. In operation, the tube I, with glass tubes 3 threaded on it, is lowered into the furnace, and, when the glass tubes are sufliciently heated, the tube I is raised into the position shown in Figure 3 and cooled by admitting air simultaneously into the tube I and into the blowing frame II I2. Alternatively, the furnace and blowing frame may be moved while the tube I remains stationary.

Figure 4 shows an arrangement adapted for tempering glass tubes in the tempering apparatus employed for flat platesn, A plurality of tubes I, each having glass tubes {threaded thereon, is connected to a header I3 to which air is supplied. The header I3 is supported by the rods I I. The plurality of tubes I with glass tubes 3 is shown in a blowing frame I5 of the construction usual forcooling glass plates, and .below the frame I5 is the usual plate heating furnace I6. The plurality of tubes is then manipulated in the same way as a glass plate.

This form of the invention is of great commercial utility, since it enables a large number of small tubular articles to be tempered simultaneously, while making use of the usual flat glass tempering apparatus.

In the case of tubular glass articles of varying diameter, as for instance the tubular articles I! shown in Figure 5, the air holes 6 in the tube I, are made of such size and with such-spacing as to provide more cooling air at those points where the diameter is greater. Such variation in the air holes is not generally necessary in the external blowing frame, since the cooling effect of the air jets is less on the portions of small diameter by reason of their greater distance from the air holes.

Having described my invention I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for cooling tubular glass articles for. tempering them comprising in combination,

' anexternal blowing frame, a metal tube on which the articles are threaded, supports on the tube adapted to support the articles, distance pins on the tube adapted to maintain the articles concentric with the tube, air holes in the tube and means for supplying air to the tube.

each tube, and a header through which air is supplied to the tubes and on which the tubes are fixed in a plane whereby the plurality of tubes is adapted for use in apparatus for tempering glass plates.

WILLIAM BORTHWICK CLIIHERDW. 

